Love Under The Moon

Chapter 26: Snake

"Are you sure it's safe? It won't kill him?" I asked Derek as we waited for Isaac and Erica to bring Jackson to us.

"It'll Just paralyze him- if he isn't the kenema."

"But the whole giving him the bite and it not working is something that points to Jackson?"

Derek nodded.

I stood right in front of him, studying his eyes.

"What?" He asked.

I didn't answer at first but then I just kissed him. He kissed me back hungrily, turning and pinning me up against the subway train.

I pulled away and smiled. "Predictable?"

"Always."

I rolled my eyes and kissed him again. "Promise me this won't hurt Jackson."

"I promise."

I kissed him again.

"You are too compassionate," Derek whispered.

I shrugged. "I feel bad for him-"

Derek raised his eyebrows at me and I placed a hand on his chest. We sat down and Derek rested with his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped together.

"He's adopted, I'm sure there's always a part of him that wonders why he wasn't wanted and if ever will be wanted. And it may never have been a matter of wanting him or not they may have thought that was best for him- but he won't know that," I explained.

"He isn't making it easy for people to like him."

"No," I sighed. "But he's just a kid. In high school... you already go through a time wondering who you are and then being adopted on top of that is bound to cause some built up anger."

We heard struggling and I stood up- they were here.

Erica and Isaac dragged Jackson in.

"What happened to you on the night of the full moon?" Derek asked.

"What? Nothing. Nothing happened."

"You're lying."

"No, wait. No, wait, I can I can prove it. I taped myself."

"You taped yourself?" Isaac laughed.

"Yes. It was the full moon. And maybe while you were curled in the corner having an existential crisis about turning into a monster, I was preparing for the so-called gift your big, bad Alpha promised me, and what did I get? Nothing. You want proof? Let me get the video."

"No. No, I have a better idea," Derek said, getting up, holding a piece of glass from the mirror that was broken last night at the pool.

"What is that?" Jackson asked worried. 

"You know, Jackson, you've always been kind of a snake," Derek started, moving forward, Isaac and Erica holding his mouth open. "And everyone knows a snake can't be poisoned by its own venom."

I didn't know whether to watch or not.

Derek let the venom slip into Jackson's mouth and he fell to the ground paralyzed.

I sighed in relief.

"You're still a snake, Jackson, just not the one we're looking for," Derek stated.

"You're still gonna have to do one more thing for us. Well, actually, for me," Isaac said.

Isaac made him promise to tell the cops that it wasn't Isaac who killed his dad, making him no longer a suspected criminal as I left.